Half A Smile
by Jaylynik
Summary: Two Face attempts to use a kindness granted by Batman to Harvey Dent as an opportunity to strike at both Gotham City and his better half. Just when Harvey thought Two Face had taken from him all there was to be taken, he managed to find something else.


**Half A Smile**

Harvey Dent leaned back against the wall of his cell in Arkham. He switched his attention from the chessboard down to his watch, and the expressive half of his face twisted into a smile. Harvey Dent was not happy in the least; it was Two Face who smiled, and so the smile was not a pleasant one.

It was approaching midnight. Not the ideal time, although 12:00 at least had a "2" in it. 2:00 would have been better, or 2:22, or even 10:10 (which was 2-2 in binary, a numbering system both Harvey and Two Face rather appreciated). Shortly before then, Batman would arrive as he did every night to whisper the next move of the chess game they've been playing for months through the cell door. It was normally something Harvey very much looked forward to, a pleasant diversion just for him, but he had lost the coin flip and now Two Face was taking this from him as well. That's how it always was; just when Harvey thought Two Face had taken from him all there was to be taken, he managed to find something else.

Tonight, while Batman was distracted with their ongoing chess game, two bombs would go off in Gotham City. One would destroy the Gemini Nightclub, which was, in fact, the front to an illegal gambling joint being run by one of his criminal rivals. The other would destroy a charity headquarters which had the misfortune of having the address, "2002, North 22nd Street." One would think that by then the city would have broken down and renamed that damn road, but apparently not.

Cutting into a rival's profits would be useful to Two Face. He had no particular interest in the charity beyond the fact that it provided a nice counterbalance to the gambling parlor, a place dedicated to charity to balance a place dedicated to greed. The event would also serve to remind the citizens of Gotham, both its honest, God-fearing citizens and its dishonest, Bat-fearing citizens, that Two Face was not out of the picture simply because he was, at the moment, locked up. But still, the real reason Two Face was doing this was not to strike at anyone outside, but to strike inside. He would use Batman's nightly act of kindness as a distraction, and so Batman would be forced to deprive Harvey of that kindness in the future.

A silhouette appeared in the light that shone through the door's narrow slit. "Bishop to C-8," Batman's harsh voice whispered. Two Face hid his half-smile away and nodded before getting up to move the piece. Appearances had to be maintained. As he passed the silhouette in the light, however, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked to see what Batman was doing. The Dark Knight held in one hand two electronic assemblies. Two Face recognized them instantly; Batman had dismantled both of his bombs.

"Don't try that again," Batman growled out, and this time his voice held a faintly threatening note. Harvey Dent didn't take it personally; he knew who it was addressed to. Then Batman turned away. As he walked off, he murmured, voice back to what passed for normal, "I'll see you again tomorrow night, Harvey."

Half of Two Face's countenance was set in a ferocious scowl, but then, half of his face always was. The other side, against Two Face's will, settled into a pleased, relieved smile.

**End.**

_Author's Note: Quick story inspired by Batman: Gotham Nights issue #32. This issue shows what is supposed to be a day in the life of Bruce Wayne/Batman, and includes what is implied to be a daily visit to Arkham for an ongoing chess game with Harvey Dent. That scene made my inner Two Face fangirl squee with glee. _

_This mini-fic was originally written as part of an Advent fic challenge, where each day during advent I was given a number of prompts, and had to choose one of them to write a quick fic or fic-part about. I burned out before the end of the challenge and didn't finish it, but I am happy with a number of fics written during it, and this one in particular._

_For this day, I was given my choice of the following prompts:_

_1. I want something Batman-like. It could involve Batman, it could involve people in Gotham City talking __about__ Batman, it could be Batman's allies or Rogues gallery, it could be a Stunticon and a carebear reading a Batman __comic.__ I just want some Batman!_

..Please don't have a Stunticon and a carebear reading a Batman comic.

_2. __A Stunticon and a Carebear reading a Batman comic_.

_3. Hook and Sodomy, just because._

_I did not pick a Stunticon and a Carebear reading a Batman comic._


End file.
